 | | | | Unique cultural exchangeSeveral OSU College of Business International Exchange students recently took some time to volunteer at an elementary school in Stuppach/Bad Mergentheim, Germany. Colin (Andy) Armstrong, Sara Buldoc, Jacob Cramer, Ed Gale, Kyle Jeffers, David Stewart, Bridgette Walker, and Jeff Williams all spent the day taking part in various English-speaking activities at the school. The Frankische Nachrichten (a local newspaper) wrote a story about the visit, which was printed July 12, 2007. The interpreted version follows:
American students play and read with grade schoolers
Stuppach/Bad Mergentheim, Germany. Adrian is in first grade. His mother is a professor at the Bad Mergentheim Professional Academy and has contact with foreign, predominantly English-speaking exchange students. Initially, the plan was that only one English-speaking exchange student visit the English class in the first grade of the Stuppach elementary school. In the end, the entire class of the Professional Academy, including twelve American students came to Stuppach.
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American exchange students entertain German grade schoolers with their basketball skills. | Kyle presented his basketball skills in the gym while Jeff read to the first graders and described animals in English. The children listened attentively and quickly raised their hands when they had something to contribute.
In the gym, the children were amazed about Kyle's ability to jump and probably wished they were a little taller so they could reach the basket.
"What developed from the original idea is wonderful," stated Henriette Bertsch, director of the elementary school Stuppach/Neunkirchen. Beate Scheubrein initially approached the teacher of her son Adrian, Ulrike Brombach, with the idea to bring one or two American students from the Professional Academy to the first grade's English class. This became a landslide which brought the entire international business class with 15 students to the Stuppach elementary school.
"For us and for our students, this is a unique cultural exchange," praised Director Bertsch. "And the college students enjoyed the break from their lectures as well," said Professor Scheubrein who teaches health management. She was grateful that her colleague allowed his international exchange students to visit the elementary school.
The American guests entertained the four English classes of the elementary school. The exchange students, aged 20 to 30, enjoyed reading fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood in English to a captive audience. The 55 grade schoolers who had greeted their guests with some hesitation, quickly warmed up to them.
"We usually do not have the opportunity to present native English speakers to our elementary school students to liven up the English classes," said Bertsch.
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